The Good Guy
by AGarde
Summary: Meet Mia Marinella. Ex-Army, owner of Marinella Bail Bonds. Ranger calls Mia in to help an undercover bust gone bad that has Lester trapped and helpless, making her question the reasons she left in the first place. Will she be able to walk away again?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: All recognizable characters belong to Janet Evanovich. Mia's mine, though! And don't worry...it's still a Babe story. I'm a Stephanie-Ranger fan until the end!

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I mean the best with what I say  
It doesnt always sound that way  
I never learned to work things out  
Cause in my family all we ever seem to do to is shout

"Safe Place" by Staind

xXx

There aren't many women in the world who can honestly say they love their jobs. I am one of the select few. I _love_ my job. My name is Mia Marinella and I own a bail bonds agency. My favorite part of that business is hunting down the idiots who think they can cheat me out of my money. It's a little sadistic, I know. That's just the kind of girl I am. Today was one of my better days. I had tracked down a big paycheck, Lee Anthony, and dumped him at the Baltimore Police Department, collecting my money on the way out. He had multiple drug convictions and, hopefully, the bail would be set somewhere no one would bother to post. Not that I would have argued if they did. I could get him back just as easily.

His capture was one of those that just fueled my already ridiculous ego. He'd been hiding out at a friend's house, two doors down from his own. He even had the gall to walk back to his house once night fell. As if no one would notice that. I could have easily snatched him on his way to his house one night. I decided to do it the hard way, though. I like to make a scene. I like to show people what happened when they tried to cross me. I waited until he made it back to his hide out and was successfully locked in the basement. Then, I climbed out of my car and walked to the front door.

A rather large guy with a big scar above his left eye looked me up and down. "Yeah?"

I wasn't a very intimidating woman. I was a little under five and a half feet with just enough muscle to keep me out of the underweight category. My hair was dark, thanks to my Italian heritage, and hung down to my back. I had it pulled back in a tight ponytail today. I'd even had the decency to put on a little make up. Eye liner, mascara, and a dash of blush for my pale cheeks. I probably looked more like a lost puppy in my jeans and tank top than a bounty hunter. That was the whole point. I was sneaky.

"Oh, hi. I was looked for Mr. Anthony." I batted my eyes a little.

The big guy raised an eyebrow, looked around behind him, then shrugged and let me in. As soon as I counted the people in the room, only four, I sprung to action. The big guy went down hard. They always do. The two closer men came out me, but I sidestepped just in time and sent them both into the wall behind me. They went down, too. The last guy looked at me with wide eyes, then made a run for the back door. I caught him easily and sent him to the ground with a knee in his throat.

"Give me the key," I said in a low voice.

The poor guy was shaking as he dug the key out of his pocket and handed it to me. After that, it was a walk in the park. Anthony had heard the scuffle and was waiting on the stairs, hands up. I cuffed him, threw him into my car, and headed to the police department. Piece of cake. I hadn't even brought a weapon with me. Some people called me stupid, I thought I was resourceful. And good.

"Hey, Mia." Jack Harvey, one of the uniforms, stopped me on my way out. "Nice job bringing Anthony in."

I smiled slightly at him. Harvey was one of those guys who thought he could just smile at a woman and her pants would come flying off. It gave me a huge sense of success to turn him down every chance I got. "Thanks."

"How about a drink tonight to celebrate?"

"No, thanks." I opened the back door with my back, still smiling. "I don't date uniforms."

His eyes narrowed as I pushed into the bright sun. It was the middle of June and even Maryland was scorching. I slid my sunglasses over my nose, climbed into my big, black Hummer, and drove off. I'd made enough money in one day to fund my operation for a whole month. Did I mention I loved my job?

I parked in the back of my office, sliding into the back door and lurking in the store room while I listened for voices. I definitely didn't want to walk through to my office if Anna Herling was still there. I smiled when I only heard the quiet sound of my receptionist, Donna Dunby, filing her nails. I walked into the front office and smiled at Donna, slapping the check on her desk.

"Congratulations," she said with absolutely no enthusiasm, not taking her eyes off her nails. "You got your man. What a surprise."

I waved off her attitude and plopped down on the soft, leather couch. "Anyone close to their court dates?" I asked, still running off the high of an easy catch.

"Yes. I called them and they all promised they'd be there. Let's face it, Mia, people are too afraid of you to run anymore."

"Please," I scoffed. "The day criminals grow a conscience is the day I'm out of a job."

"I never said they had a conscience," she clarified. "I just said they were scared of you."

I chuckled, leaning on the arm of the couch and studying Donna. She was pretty, in a high maintenance sort of way. She had wavy brown hair that framed her heart shaped face and a pair of very fake breasts that she insisted on showing off. She paid for them, she claimed, so she ought to be able to flaunt them. It didn't bother me, really. I didn't envy her and I didn't think she was scaring away any customers. My business wasn't the type to be intimidated by big boobs. Big boots, maybe.

"So, how's life?"

She rolled her eyes. "Why don't you go find someone to rough up or something? You're entirely to energetic for me."

I laughed, then glanced out the glass store front. "It's too pretty to just rough someone up for no reason. And too hot."

"Anna said she'd be by later."

"Ugh. I better go, then." Anna was my younger brother, Kirby's, girlfriend and just the sound of her voice drove me up the wall. She seemed to find me amazing, though, and spent every free moment she had trying to emulate me. It wasn't amusing.

Donna smiled victoriously. She was trying to get rid of me and that tactic had worked.

I pushed off the couch and headed for my office. "On second thought, I think I'll stick around. Paperwork and whatnot."

She visibly deflated. I always wondered what she did when she managed to get me away. I had a feeling she was screwing the guy who owned the pastry shop next to my office. Yet another thing I didn't care about. So long as she didn't do it on my desk.

I sat down and frowned at the blinking light on my phone. "Hey, Donna, did I get any calls?"

"Oh, yeah." She spun around in her chair to look at me. "Some man called."

Sometimes, I wasn't sure why I paid Donna. She really wasn't a very good receptionist. Then, I remembered. It was out of pity. And a small amount of guilt. It was my fault, after all, that she didn't win that pageant so many years ago. And of course, that was the down fall of her modeling career. I had tried to justify the whole thing to myself, but I was a softie at heart. Plus, it wasn't hurting me to have her around. I pretty much ran my business on my own.

With a sigh, I picked up my phone and listened to my voice mail. As soon as I heard the deep voice, a smile spread across my face.

"Marinella, it's Manoso. Call me."

Ah, the man of many words. I'd known Manoso since the good old days, back in the Army. I'd helped his ass more than once out of a tight situation, and it looked like he was in need again. I'd kept up with him and his close-knit group after I was freed of my contract. Ranger, as most people called him, owned a very profitable security company in Trenton, New Jersey. Only a couple hours from my little piece of Baltimore. I strummed my fingers across my desk and thought about the implications of his call. Certainly, something had to be pretty bad for him to call me. Ranger wasn't one to admit that he needed help. Especially from a woman. And especially from me. Let's just say we hadn't parted on the best of terms last time.

That wasn't my fault, as much as he tried to pin the whole thing on me. Remembering that particular fight brought back bad memories, though so I pushed it away and stopped stalling. I picked up the phone, dialing a number that hadn't changed since I'd known him.

"Yo," he answered abruptly.

"Manoso," I greeted with a smile. "You called?"

"Marinella." He shuffled with something, then I heard a door close. "I need your help."

"So I gathered." I leaned back in my chair and studied the painting on the opposite wall. "Go ahead. Tell me what's going on."

After a second to compose his thoughts, he dove in. "I had one of my guys undercover in a gang here in Trenton. He's gone silent."

"What's the plan?" I asked, brain switching to military mode automatically.

"I'd like to get him out as quietly as possible. I have a feeling something went wrong."

I glanced at my computer. I could book a flight. It would probably take less time to drive, though. "I'll be there in two hours."

"I'll tell them to watch for you," he said before hanging up.

I picked up the spare bag I kept packed for situations just like this one, and headed for the door. "I'm out for a few days, Donna. I'll call you if something changes. Make sure people make it to their court dates."

"Yeah, yeah." She waved me off with a small smile. "Have fun catching the bad guys."

"Not catching a bad guy, this time." I took a deep breath, then moved toward the back door. "I'm saving a good guy."

The two hour drive took entirely too long, in my mind. I kept cursing myself for not asking Manoso who was in the shit. Not that it would have changed my reaction. I would have helped had I known the guy or not. But, if it was someone I knew...if it was him... I took a deep breath and focused on the road. I was navigating the streets of Trenton, my GPS barking orders every few minutes. When I finally turned into the parking lot under his tall office building, I was bursting pent up energy.

A large man I didn't recognize was standing at the elevator, waiting for me. I clicked the button to set the alarm on my Hummer and got into the elevator with a small nod in greeting. He had a tattoo across the top of his head, I noticed with a small smile. I liked him.

"I'm Mia," I introduced myself as the elevator climbed.

"Cal," he said quietly.

Who would have thought the guy with the balls to get his head tattooed was the silent type? I waited impatiently as the elevator continued to ding, finally following Cal onto the fifth floor, where I ran into a few faces I actually recognized. Apparently, Manoso hadn't bothered to tell them I was coming, because they looked pretty stunned to see me.

"Mia?" Bobby Brown took a tentative step forward. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked with a huge, white smile, pulling me into a hug.

"Well, you know. I was getting bored." I laughed and pinched his dark cheek. "And I missed my favorite guys."

Tank was behind Bobby, with a small smile on his very large face. Tank was a big guy, even for someone like me who'd met their fair share of big guys. He had his massive arms crossed over his chest, watching me.

"Well?" I mirrored his stance. "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to hug me?"

He broke out into a full smile and took a step forward, picking me up off the ground easily and slinging my body around. When he put me down, his smile had actually grown. "How are you?"

"Never been better, big guy." I pat his arms and looked around the room. A few guys were looking at me with confused faces, but I didn't see the one I was looking for. "Who is it, Tank?"

His face sobered immediately. "Come on. Ranger's probably waiting. I didn't realize he'd called you." He sighed and led me through the room. People snapped back to work when Tank and I passed, trying their hardest not to let curiosity take over.

I caught sight of a woman and that almost stopped me in my tracks. She was in a little cubicle in the corner, hunched over a stack of paperwork, apparently oblivious to the world. Her brown, curly hair was in a messy bun and she was chewing on a pencil. "Tank," I pointed toward the woman. "Who's that?"

Tank glanced in the direction I pointed, then smiled slightly. "Don't worry. You'll meet her soon enough." He pushed me into Ranger's office, scowl back in place. "You could have told us you were calling in back up."

Ranger looked at Tank with narrowed eyes, then noticed me standing behind him. That was his queue to get down to business. "Meeting in five."

Tank nodded and left.

I moved to a chair opposite Ranger and sat, smiling slightly. "Who is it?" I asked again.

He sighed. "Santos."

My heart fell into my stomach. I had a feeling. I tried to think positively, though. Lester was a big boy. He knew how to take care of himself. He'd proved that to me before. It still broke me somewhere, deep inside, to know that he was probably in a lot of trouble and I was sitting around talking tactics. I needed to get him out. I needed to know he was safe. And I was going to do just that.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! As usual, all characters belong to JE except Mia. And I've decided to bump up my rating to M since the f-bomb tends to drop into my writing as regularly as it drops from my mouth. Hope you like ;D**

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That's when she said I don't hate you boy,  
I just want to save you while there's still something left to save.  
That's when I told her I love you girl,  
but I'm not the answer for the questions that you still have.

"Savior" by Rise Against

xXx

Ranger was in the front of the room talking and my brain was taking notes to go over later. For now, I was focused on the blueprints of the house where he last was. It wasn't a guarantee, but it was something. Unfortunately, it was and old house and those were the hardest. Creaky floorboard, noisy doors and windows. Getting in was going to be hard. If I was right, though, he wouldn't just be sitting in the living room waiting for us. He's be hidden somewhere. If they found out he was undercover, they might have very well killed him already.

I bit back a sob. _No_, I thought. _Think positively. He's not dead_.

Brown was sitting next to me and he put a hand on my shoulder when he saw the look on my face. I must have made a noise. I took a deep breath and pushed the emotion back. Now was not the time to become emotional. I'd never been emotional my whole life. Why was it appearing now? I knew the answer to that question, though. Because, where Lester was involved, I'd never been very logical.

Under no control of my own, my mind propelled back almost seven years, to the first time I'd met Lester Santos. He was part of a team assigned with taking down a weapon cartel in South America. I was flown in as a last ditch attempt to make it work. I'd already earned my reputation by then. I wasn't a team player, but I got the big jobs done that no one else could. So, they let me work on my own and did their best to control the outcome.

The grand plan: drop me in the middle of their base and let me loose. Like I said, it was a last ditch effort. They _really_ wanted these guys out of commission. At the time, my father was the one in charge of me. And the fact that he had no problems dumping me right in the middle of the shit should tell you everything you need to know about him. It was dark and I moved like a cat. By the time the sun was beginning to climb over the horizon, over a hundred people were dead and I was standing around, waiting for my evac.

The helicopter touched down and one man jumped out. He was tall and lean with cinnamon skin and brown hair cut in the required military style. He looked around the building with wide, amazed eyes, then back at little old me. "Who the fuck are you?"

With a small smile, I headed toward him. I reached up and grabbed the bandana off his head, wiped the blood off my face, and shoved the fabric in his pocket. "Mia Marinella," I said quietly, moving toward the chopper.

His eyes clicked in understanding as he took his spot opposite me in the helicopter. "You're General Marinella's daughter," he said with a hint of awe in his voice.

I gave him a small nod, content to sit back and watch his deep brown eyes take in every inch of my body.

"Lester Santos," he introduced himself and stuck a hand out.

As a general rule, I didn't make friends with the guys. It never ended well. I'd learned that quickly. He seemed sincere, though. So, I shook his hand. What I wasn't prepared for was the little spark that seemed to ignite with that simple touch. His eyes darkened and a small smile crept across his face. He felt it, too, then. I pulled back and leaned against the wall of the helicopter, drinking him up with my eyes. He was nice to look at. It had been awhile since I'd had a man of his caliber in bed. Not that there were any beds around. And not that I was actually going to stick around long. Still, the possibility of sleeping with him had me a little stirred up. Okay, a lot stirred up.

"Where are you from, Santos?" I asked, wanting to hear that slight accent in his voice a little more. It was almost undetectable, but I'd been trained in these things.

His smile seemed to spread. "Miami."

That was completely unsatisfactory. I wanted to hear him talk. He was being uncooperative. I didn't tolerate that well. "Mexican?" I offered.

"Puerto Rican," he corrected simply, to my continued irritation.

I pushed off the bench, put my hands high on his thighs, and leaned my face in so I could whisper in his ear. "I want to hear you speak Spanish."

Santos made a noise that was somewhere between a whimper and a groan. A string of words left his mouth and caressed my neck along with his hot breath. In an instant, I was hot and ready. I tugged at his earlobe with my teeth, then sat back with a wide smile just in time for the helicopter to land with a gentle thud. Daddy was there with a hand out for me. I gave Santos a promising smile, then hopped out of the chopper.

"Mia," Bobby nudged me.

I sat up with a start and shook my head to clear it. Manoso was looking at me with a pair of knowing, but slightly irritated eyes. I took a deep breath and mumbled an apology, forcing myself to tune into his little meeting. My team player skills hadn't improved in the least. I didn't give a shit about any of the other guys in the room. They were safe and warm while Lester was probably having to fend for his life. The longer I sat there and thought about it, the more enraged I got. It didn't take long for me to get fed up. I practically jumped out of the chair, throwing it into the wall behind me. Ranger stopped talking and no one said anything when I stormed out of the room.

I headed down the hall, fists pumping in and out, feeling a desperate need to hurt someone. Preferably, someone who'd hurt Lester. Planning was not my strong point. I'd let Ranger handle that. He could tell me what I needed to do when the time came for us to actually do something. I turned the corner at full speed and plowed into a body.

Out of habit, I reached forward and steadied the person in front of me. A pair of wide, blue eyes stared back at me. I sighed and bent down to pick up the things that had fallen to the floor.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking," she sputtered as she collected herself.

"No. It's alright. No harm done." I stood back up and offered her the best smile I could muster. "My mind is elsewhere."

Her lip went between her teeth as she studied me. A question nagged her, but she was trying to decide whether or not to ask.

I saved her the trouble. "I'm Mia Marinella," I stretched out a hand to her. "I don't think I've ever met you before."

"Oh." She smiled and took my hand. "Stephanie Plum. Nice to meet you."

I looked her up and down. She was like a mini-Ranger. All black with little RangeMan logos everywhere. It was beyond adorable and bordering on nauseating. Suddenly, it dawned on me. I hadn't kept in touch with the guys, much, except Bobby. He made regular trips to Baltimore and always stopped by to see me. He'd said something once about about Manoso having some sort of love interest in town. He covered it almost instantly and almost got uneasy when I asked, so I let it slide. This must have been her. I found myself sizing her up. Not out of jealousy or envy, because the man honestly did nothing for me, but out of morbid curiosity. The idea of Manoso becoming attached to anyone seemed laughable and when I looked at the fidgeting woman in front of me, I just didn't see it.

"So, what's all the fuss about?" She asked, nodding toward the meeting room and looking at me with cautious eyes.

The thought hadn't occurred to me that she didn't know the situation. I took a deep breath and glanced over her head. "I'm not sure Manoso is ready for it to be out, just yet." With that, I decided out little conversation was over and headed for a less populated area.

She pouted visibly as I pushed past her, but I got over it almost instantly. I didn't want to talk for another second. I headed for the elevator and hit the button to the ground floor, moving into the fresh air and afternoon sun. Night couldn't fall fast enough. I found a bench close to the building as sat, staring straight ahead as my mind continued to process all the things that could be happening to Lester and all the things I was going to do to the men who dared lay a hand on him.

"I need to know you're with us," Manoso's deep voice pulled me out of my trance.

I snapped my head in his direction and sent him a glare that had him taking a step back. "I'm with you," I said through clenched teeth.

"Are you?" He asked seriously. "You weren't there in the conference room."

"When the time comes for my skills, you won't need to talk."

He nodded slightly, then turned and headed back toward the building. There was an understanding between Manoso and me. He knew I was a twisted little fuck and he also knew that I could do things he never could. Not because I was any better than he was, because he was pretty much the best all around. But simply because I was small and nimble. He couldn't flit around a dark room full of people and take them out without so much as the sound of a pin dropping. He respected that. And I respected his many talents. It was that mutual respect that allowed us to work together.

After a few moments, I pulled myself together and headed back inside. I didn't get far, though. The sound of someone yelling drifted toward me. I glanced into the dark parking area under Manoso's building and slid in near the wall. The voice was familiar, but I didn't immediately place it. After a second, I noticed the two people standing close together in the back corner and smiled.

"Tell me, Ranger. Tell me what the hell is going on!" Little, fidgety Stephanie was standing on her toes, finger pressed into Manoso's chest. She had more spunk than I'd given her credit for.

"Babe," he said with a minimally audible sigh. "It's complicated."

"You're gearing up for something. Everyone's on edge. Why can't you just tell me what's going on? I could help!" Her finger was jabbing into his chest. I was amazed he let her get away with it, honestly.

He reached up and took her hand in his, pulling her closer to him and trying to decide what to tell her. He was facing away from me, but I saw the tightness in his shoulders. I wasn't sure if he was trying to protect her or if he just didn't want anyone to know he'd actually gotten himself into a little bit of trouble. Finally, he slumped ever so slightly and leaned down to whisper in her ear. I couldn't hear what he said, but he must have given in because in an instant, her eyes went wide and her breathing hitched. Her reaction caught me a little off guard. She looked scared. And worried. She must have been pretty close to these guys. I thought I would have been jealous, but surprisingly, I wasn't. They needed someone around, after all. A female presence.

I moved away from the wall silently, hitting the button for the elevator and waiting for them to notice me. I wasn't far from where they were standing, but Manoso was busy comforting Stephanie and neither of them seemed to hear me walk up. When the elevator dinged, Manoso turned around with wide eyes. I gave him a small smile and ducked into the elevator.

"Looks like you're not always so aware, Batman," Stephanie said with a quiet chuckle as the doors slid closed.

On the short ride back up to the fifth floor, I decided I liked Stephanie Plum.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The usual- most of these characters are not mine.

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corrosive  
tainted by my sin  
I'm spilling blood  
and I can hardly contain it

"Push It" by Static X

xXx

By the time the sun set, everyone had switched into an all too familiar mode. Eyes on the kill. My mind was going over and over the blueprints, forcing myself to memorize the area as if I'd lived there all my life. My only objective was finding Santos. The number of people I had to kill to get to him made absolutely no difference in my mind. I was equipped with my usual supplies when going into hostile territory. I didn't usually go with the all black approach that Manoso loved, but the darkness called for it. I had on black pants that allowed for maximum movement with a silenced pistol strapped to each thigh, a black top that hugged my body like a second skin, and a pair of black leather gloves. I slid my larger knife into the holster on my left calf and the two smaller ones under the fabric of my wasitband. My black hair was pulled half back in an attempt to both shield my pale skin and stay out of my way.

Tank turned toward me holding a bullet proof vest. I raised an eyebrow in response.

He narrowed his eyes. "Marinella," he growled.

"Limits my movement. Not happening." I dared him to argue, then moved toward the front of the SUV and climbed into the passenger seat. "Time to move," I announced to no one in particular.

Manoso slid into the driver's seat, turning to look at me carefully and giving me a slight nod. That was the extent of our communication before he pulled out of the parking garage. I pushed the tiny communicator into my ear and hit the button to activate it. The plan was very similar to so many plans that included me. Drop me in and only call in the big guys should the need arise. It was easier that way. Less people got hurt. Big guys were noisy, in general. No matter how hard they tried not to be. It was why he'd called me, anyway. This was why he needed me.

"You know the rules, Marinella," Manoso reminded me for the millionth time. "The second you find him, call us in. No matter what."

"Yeah," I agreed with a nod. I would have trouble getting him out, anyway, if he was hurt. I was crazy, not super human.

I jumped out of the car, in the cover of night, three houses down. Manoso continued down the block. I crept along the back fence line, stopping at the corner of my target house to listen for movement. My trained ears heard two people inside, but no one outside. The window I was beside looked into the kitchen. Probably, though, in this particular house, the kitchen was actually the laboratory. The area where the super special drugs were made. I ducked down and crawled under the window, moving toward the back door. Luckily for me, the back lot of the house looked into a dark alley. No street lamps. No chance of people seeing me.

The back door was standing ajar. These guys were making it easy on me. I pulled both pistols out and rounded the corner, ready to pull the trigger. No one was standing around in the hallway, so I took a step into the house. The kitchen was to my left, now, and straight ahead was the living room. Two men sat on the couch, glued to the television. A staircase to my right led up to two bedrooms and a bathroom. The door to the basement was under the stairs. Right next to the back door. The thought occurred to me to make it a stealthy, in and out thing. I knew better, though. If there were guys downstairs, I'd no doubt make some kind of ruckus and then the ones up here would run to their aid and I'd be cornered. I hated to be cornered.

I swung my body into the door of the kitchen silently. The two occupants were facing the wall, toying with a string of instruments on the stove. I stepped forward, aimed both guns, and pulled the triggers. They both went down with quiet thuds. One of the men in the living room made a noise as I slid my guns into their holsters and moved beside the doorway to the kitchen. Just as I expected, someone came to check on them. As soon as he cleared the doorway, I reached forward and twisted his neck suddenly, setting him down next to his friends. The last guy in the living room came in, grumbling about something, and got the same treatment. I stepped over the pile of bodies and moved further into the house, checking every corner of the floor to make sure it was clear.

Once I was satisfied, I moved toward the stairs. Stairs were tricky little fuckers. I stuck close to the wall, since that was usually the safest part to avoid creaks. The door to the first bedroom was open, and empty. The bathroom door was closed and locked. I loved shooting people when they were taking a shit. It made me smile. I saved him for last, though, because kicking in a door was no quiet task. The second bedroom held at least five guys, by my count. The door was wide open and they were talking, rather loudly, about something. I stopped long enough to consider my options, then decided catching them off guard would be about my best bet.

I swung into the room and fired my guns exactly five times. No one even had a chance to move toward me. The door to the bathroom opened suddenly and I moved my gun and pulled the trigger before my head even had a chance to catch up. He hadn't pulled his pants up, yet. It was mildly satisfying.

"Two upper floors clear," I announced quietly for my audience back in the SUV.

My feet were just as careful descending the stairs, but no one had miraculously appeared in the house during my few minutes upstairs. If they had, they took off for the hills once they noticed the body count. I moved back down the hallway and gently pushed the basement door open. It wasn't even locked. I smiled and started down the dimly lit stairs, gun on each side of me, ready to go. I had fourteen bullets left. More than enough, in my opinion.

The basement was dark and damp. No one came charging at me, so I took that as a good sign and moved to the bottom landing. There were two guys passed out in the corner, track marks evident on their exposed limbs. Feeling absolutely no remorse, I sent two bullets straight into them.

A noise made me turn around, guns aimed automatically. He was sitting in a chair, tied up and bloody, but alive. I forced myself to stay alert, checking every dark corner of the basement and finally allowing myself to go to him once I was sure it was clear.

"I got him," I said in a whisper. "Basement."

Lester's eyes were fuzzy. He watched me carefully as I cut the tape that held his hands together and started working on the thick layer that kept him sitting in the chair. By the time I sawed through the tape, Manoso descended into the basement with a gun held high. He rushed over and helped me get Lester up. Bobby was obviously holding back the urge to do a full assessment right there, but ended up leading the way back out to the dark alley where the SUV was parked. I let them take Lester, then went about planting my evidence. By the time I was done, it was a druggie gone rampage and no one would care to think otherwise. It was a shame to leave behind my two favorite pistols, though.

I jumped into the back seat where Bobby was busy trying to get a response out of Lester. He was making noises that might have been words, but he was obviously drugged. I got the urge to go back and kick around the corpses of the sorry fuckers who did that to him, but the car was already moving.

"We should take him to the hospital," Bobby announced as we drove.

Manoso glanced in the rear view mirror, eyes tight in thought. I understood his hesitation. There was no telling what Lester had in him and medical people tended to be too nosy. Bobby was right, though. He needed the nosy medical care. I gave Manoso a look, and he nodded slightly, turning in the opposite direction to head for the hospital. Tank got on the phone and alerted someone we were on our way.

I moved closer to Lester's face and brushed his long, brown hair back. "Hey, Les. Talk to me."

Two fuzzy brown eyes looked at me, a small smile growing on his face. "Momma Mia?"

A soft chuckle escaped my worried lips. "Yeah, papi. It's me."

"Must be dead," he mumbled.

That made me smile widely. I leaned down and kissed his forehead. "What makes you think you'd find me in heaven?"

His eyes found me again, a wobbly hand coming up to touch my face. He opened his mouth to say something, but we stopped and everyone jumped to action. I watched with a sad smile on my face as they loaded him on a stretcher and rolled him behind the swinging doors where I wasn't allowed to follow.

Waiting had never been my strong suit. I'd rid myself of weapons and I sort of looked like someone who just liked to wear black. The guys, on the other hand, looked like they just came from combat. Even without any weapons. Bobby and Tank were sitting rigidly in the hard, plastic chairs of the waiting room, looking intimidating enough just by their expressions. Manoso was standing immobile in a corner, resembling a statue more than a person. Two other guys I didn't know were sticking close, making quiet phone calls, most likely to update those not with us. I was pacing. I'd been pacing since the second my eyes were torn from Lester's floppy body. That was almost a half hour ago, though it felt more like two days.

The door to the emergency room burst open and Stephanie came rushing in. She glanced around, spotted Manoso in the corner, and went straight for him. In a movement that I would have found amusing any other time, he accepted her with open arms. I watched them for a moment, comforting each other. Stephanie took a step back, as if she remembered that hugging him wasn't exactly appropriate, and glanced around at the other guys in the room. She made her rounds, offering small hugs and a few words to each of them. I locked eyes with her a few times, but she apparently hadn't formed a solid enough relationship with me just yet to include me in her routine.

I was wrong.

Stephanie walked up with her arms curled tightly around her, bottom lip in her teeth. "So, the guys won't tell me anything." She hesitated, then stepped closer. "How is he?"

"Not good," I said honestly. "Drugged and bloody."

Her eyes misted slightly, but she took a deep breath and pushed past it. "He's going to be fine. He's strong."

I nodded in agreement.

Her lip went back between her teeth. "So, you've known them awhile?"

"Some of them." I took a dive, deciding conversation with someone would at least pass the time. "I served with Manoso, Tank, Brown, and Santos." I sucked in a breath and turned back toward the swinging doors. "Seems like a long time ago."

I watched as her shoulders began to tremble and her lip went further and further into her mouth. She was going to cry any moment. I turned around with wide eyes, but none of the men in the room offered to save me. With a deep breath, I put an arm out and pulled her into my chest. We were the same height, I noticed absently as I cradled her head on my shoulder. She hugged me back easily, the joint anxiety bridging an instant friendship. My eyes drifted to Manoso, catching a hint of a smile building on his lips. I glared at him and his lips tipped up a little more. He was enjoying my obvious discomfort.

Finally, Stephanie pulled herself up and wiped her eyes. The moment was gone and she was back together. She didn't move away like I expected her to, though. She stayed next to me, an arm across my shoulders, in an odd reversal of comfort.

As soon as I was actually starting to appreciate the arm on me, someone in scrubs came into the room.

"Who is family?" He asked, glancing around the room with a confused smile.

"I am." I stepped forward, fighting the unease. Manoso made a noise, but I waved him off.

"Who are you?" The doctor demanded, obviously doubting me.

I glanced around the room one more time. Manoso was glaring at me. Bobby was shaking his head slightly. Tank was impassive. I took a breath and turned back to the man in scrubs. "I'm his wife."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: The usual. All recognizable characters belong to JE.

* * *

**

Overwhelmed, you chose to run  
Apathetic to the stunned  
It's your decision

"Your Decision" by Alice In Chains

xXx

"His wife?" The doctor was not convinced.

With a sigh, I reached into my back pocket and produced a wallet. I'd almost expected this fight. I showed him my driver's license and a small copy of our marriage certificate. "Happy? Now, please tell me what's happening."

"Well," he said, handing me back my evidence. "He's going to be just fine. We had to give him something to counter the drugs, mind you." He looked me up and down in a way that had my blood boiling. "He has a few minor fractures. Looks like someone beat him up pretty good."

Luckily for the idiot judging me and Lester at the same time, Tank was behind me with his big hands on my arms as soon as he saw where the conversation was headed. I wanted to tear his head off.

"When can I see him?" I asked through gritted teeth.

The doctor glanced around. "I want to send him up to ICU for observation tonight. He took a couple blows to the head and I'd feel better if he was under close observation."

"You didn't answer my question," I pointed out as I tried to hold back the ever increasing rage.

"Oh. Yes. You can come back, I suppose. But, family only."

My eyes narrowed. "These guys _are_ his family."

"Blood relatives," the asshole doctor clarified with his nose held high.

I thought about making a comment about showing him his own blood, but bit it back since I was the only one who was apparently going to be allowed to see him and I didn't want to ruin that. Tank released me hesitantly, then watched as I followed the doctor through the double doors.

"You know," I said quietly. "Different circumstances might force _blood relatives_ away, but the idea of a _family_ is not necessarily those who share your DNA."

The doctor just shrugged, turning the corner and motioning toward an open door. "Hospital policy," he said as a means of explaining his horrible attitude.

"Giving them trouble already, mami?" Lester chuckled, much clearer than he'd been in the SUV. "Leave the poor man alone and come here."

I turned and forced myself to walk to his side. I really wanted to run. The only thing visible was a sling over his right arm, but I noticed the way his chest moved with each breath. I caught one of those rolling stools and sat on my leg, sliding closer to him. "Hey."

Lester smiled and quirked a finger at me, beckoning me in closer. I stood up and leaned over him, brushing the hair out of his face and inspecting the tiny cuts and few stitches above his right eye. He put a hand on my face and pulled me down into a soft kiss that had my insides in a mess of tangles.

"Glad you decided to drop in for a visit," he said with a smile.

I rolled my eyes and sat back down on the stool. "Manoso called."

"I figured." He sighed, but the smile didn't leave his face. "How many?"

I knew what he meant. He wanted to know how many more people I was putting on my list of sins. How many I had to get rid of to get him out safely. "Twelve," I mumbled. "And I don't even feel bad."

His hand reached for mine and I took it eagerly. I'd never been the type to need contact, but being so close to losing him had me all shaken up. It had been a few years since I'd had to kill someone. I vowed I'd never kill another innocent person when I finished up my contract and, in my mind, I hadn't broken that vow. Those men were not innocent.

I laid my head down on the stretcher. "They won't let the guys back because they're not family."

Lester's hand stilled on the back of my head. "And they let you in because..."

"I told them your dirty secret." I picked my head up with a sad smile. "I had to, Les. They wouldn't have let me see you."

"It's fine, Mia. I was never the one who wanted to hide it, remember?"

I sighed and laid my head back down. "This is exhausting."

He chuckled. "Ah, the shoe is on the other foot, now."

"Shut up."

"I told you it was worse to be the one not hurt."

"Yeah, yeah. You're always right." I sighed and stood up, kissing him gently on the cheek. "I should go let everyone know you're fine. They're putting you up in ICU for tonight, so I'm sure they'll let them see you then." Anger boiled in my veins. "They better let them in."

"Try not to get kicked out of the hospital," he teased with a smile that sobered after a second. "Seriously. Take a breath."

I followed directions and sucked in a gush of cold air. "I'm fine. I'm just still running on adrenaline."

When I made it back into the waiting room, all eyes were on me. I motioned for everyone to come closer, not that I had to really say anything because they were pretty much already coming.

"He sounds a lot better. He was teasing me, the asshole." Everyone chuckled, and a I took a deep breath. "He had a sling on his arm and I'm guessing a couple broken ribs. Stitches above his eye." I was straining to remember anything else, then sighed. "He's fine. He's going to be fine."

The room suddenly got a lot bigger. The entire crew let out a simultaneous breath. More guys had showed up, but I didn't bother myself to get to know them just yet. My mind was elsewhere. I collapsed in a chair, finally, and put my face in my hands. Two hands fell onto my back, one from each side of me. I sat there, staring into the black of my eyelids, until the urge to hit something passed. The adrenaline was finally starting to wear off and my body was going through withdrawals.

"Here," Manoso tore me from my mind and shoved coffee under my nose. "Drink."

I didn't want to, but I knew I needed it. I looked up and gave him a small smile, then took a sip of the hot liquid, hoping he remembered enough to get me decaf. With my easily activated nervous system, even the tiniest of stimulus had a long lasting effect. Caffeine kept me awake for days. We sat there until a nurse came out and informed us of a room number and the location of the waiting room. Then we waited there for another nurse to come out to tell us that she was getting him settled and she'd let us come in a few at a time for a few minutes.

I jumped up and grabbed Manoso and Tank, telling the other guys they could switch out. No one argued with me. Even the ones who didn't know me knew better than to argue. Lester's eyes were droopy again when we walked into the room, probably from the combination of exhaustion and pain medicine.

"Santos, you look like shit," Tank teased immediately.

Lester put a hand up and stuck his middle finger out for Tank. I laughed, moving around to the side of the bed closer to the wall and sitting on a hard, wooden stool. The guys talked for a minute, then they left to let more in. After thirty minutes, everyone had come in. At least, that's what I thought.

Manoso stuck his head back in, glancing at Lester with a questioning look. Lester just waved him forward. Before I could ask what that was about, I noticed Stephanie trailing right behind Manoso.

"Lester," she whispered, scurrying to him and throwing her arms around his neck.

"I'm fine, beautiful," he said with a wince.

"Oh, sorry." She pulled back and bit her lip, studying him carefully.

I took a breath, trying to still the anger and jealousy that was threatening to explode. Had I gotten the whole thing wrong? Was Manoso comforting her because she was with Lester? Then, just as I was about to jump up and leave, Lester snaked a hand out to me and winked.

"Steph, did you meet Mia?" He asked, still looking at me.

"Oh, yeah." She looked up and smiled at me. "You never told me you were married, Les," she fussed gently.

He gave her an innocent shrug. "I wasn't allowed."

"Alright, guys." The little nurse walked into the room with a wide smile. "Sorry, but it's time for everyone to leave."

Manoso looked at me, anticipating the fight. I glanced at Lester, petting his head softly. I wasn't ready to leave him. The insane urge to stay by his side and protect him from the world was taking over. I'd never had this need for people, until Les. I'd never been the type to even want people around. I thought I could go back to that, and I'd been doing just fine. But, I knew Lester was safe with Manoso. At least, I thought so. Now, seeing what I had to go through to get him back, I wasn't going to let him out of my sight until I was satisfied he could take care of himself again. Which may be never.

I turned my sad eyes to the nurse. "I haven't seen him in three years," I admitted quietly. "Please don't make me leave him now."

Lester's hand squeezed mine tightly and Manoso directed Stephanie out of the room. I wasn't going to fight. I was going to beg and plead. Which was pretty pathetic, to me.

The little blonde nurse looked at Lester, then back at me. "Well, I guess you can help me bathe him," she decided with a small smile.

I laughed. "Hear that, papi? It's your dream come true. Two hot women bathing you."

It was hard to bathe him. I knew we were hurting him. Despite the medicine he'd gotten before we started, he was still wincing with every move. This was going to be a long process. After we were done, I laid my head down next to his and just listened to his even breathing and watched his chest rising and falling. It was amazing that such small things suddenly meant so much.

"Mrs. Santos," a quite voice called from beside me.

I jerked my head up and looked around me. I'd fallen asleep with my head on Lester's bed. It was still dark outside and he was sleeping soundly.

"I know you want to stay with him, but I promise you that he's fine for now. Why don't you go home and try to get some rest?" She bit her lip when I didn't make a move. "He's going to need you to be strong for him. You need your rest, too."

That logic actually made sense. I stood and stretched my screaming muscles. "Call me Mia. And let me give you my cell phone number."

After making the little nurse promise to call me if he so much as snored, I wandered out of the locked ICU. A man in RangeMan black was sitting near the door. I wasn't sure if he was waiting for me or if he was standing guard. He answered my question before I asked it, though. As soon as he saw me, he jumped up and pushed the button to call the elevator. I didn't make any effort to communicate. I'd get to know all these guys, in time. I had a feeling Trenton was going to become home for me for awhile. At least until Les was back on his feet. I wasn't going to leave him when he needed me the most. Again.

My guide directed me to the elevator in Manoso's building, then hit the button for the fourth floor and led me down the hall, opening the second door on the left. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Lester's apartment," he said quietly. "Ranger said you would want to stay here."

Ranger was right. I nodded in thanks and took the set of keys I was offered. As soon as he left, I took time getting acquainted with the small space. It was doable. One bedroom, decent kitchen, small dining area. Most importantly, a big leather couch and a nice flat screen television. I took a long, hot shower, threw on one of Lester's huge shirts, and collapsed on the couch, flicking on the wide television and numbly changing channels.

I needed to call Donna in the morning. I'd have to make arrangements with Frankie Dulles, a friend who sometimes helped with picking up skips. He'd be more than happy to take over for awhile. My bills were taken care of for now, and if it dragged on for awhile, Donna could manage those, too. She'd done it before. Kirby and Anna could take care of my house. In fact, they'd probably find the need to move in for one reason or another while I was gone. It didn't bother me. They were safer in my house, anyway, than the tiny apartment on the bad side of town. The tricky part was going to be writing the bonds. Donna knew how, but every one required my signature. I'd have to travel back and forth to Baltimore when the time came.

With a sigh, I wiped my face. I would just have to deal with things as they came along. Right now, all that mattered was the man sitting in the hospital bed, alone. He was the focus of my attention, as it probably should have been for a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: All recognizable characters belong to Janet Evanovich.

* * *

**

Well she's running to the hills again  
Can you tell me if she'll ever return  
She must be mother natures child  
Cause she's runnin' to the call of the wild

"Colossal" by Wolfmother

xXx

I woke up as the sun was coming up over the horizon, as was my custom. I threw on clothes from my bag, which had magically appeared at some point, and headed out. In a last minute decision, I took the stairs and headed up to the fifth floor before I left. It seemed like that was the right thing to do.

My initial greeter, Mr. Tattoo Head, was sitting at a bank of monitors.

"Good morning, Cal." I walked toward him with a small smile.

"Morning," he said quietly, turning to look at me with cautious, somewhat nervous eyes.

"I was looking for Manoso." I glanced around. "Is he in his office?"

"Uh..." Cal looked toward the monitor, then back at me. "He was in the gym earlier, but went back to his apartment."

"Oh. Okay." I turned and pulled my cell phone out, dialing the familiar number.

"Yo," he answered, sounding a little out of breath.

The sound of his heavy breathing caught me off guard, but I pulled myself together quickly. "I'm heading for the hospital."

"Five minutes," he said quickly.

I didn't have time to respond before he hung up. I walked back over to Cal and sat in the empty chair next to him. "You know, men always complain about having to wait on women, but in my personal experience, I'm always the one waiting."

Cal chuckled quietly. Mr. Tattoo Head thought I was funny.

Exactly five minutes later, the elevator doors opened and Manoso was standing there. Stephanie was right next to him, looking at little worse for the wear. Apparently, she wasn't a morning person. I smiled, joined them in the elevator, and hit the button for the garage.

"Good morning," I greeted them both with a mostly happy expression. I was anxious to get to Lester.

"It _was_ good," Stephanie mumbled quietly, probably not intending for me to hear.

Manoso grinned at me and I just shook my head, realizing the reason behind his heavy breathing over the phone. I'd interrupted something. Stephanie looked up and noticed the interaction, her face turning red as she looked back to the ground and mumbled something about ESP.

I climbed into the back seat of the Porsche Cayenne Manoso moved toward, watching with a smile as he opened the passenger door for Stephanie. Whoever thought the man had a chivalrous side?

I couldn't hold back anymore. I leaned forward, between the two seats, with a wide smile. "So, what did I interrupt, exactly? I mean, were we like, about to go at it or was it just a little petting session?"

Stephanie turned an impossible shade of red and Manoso's grin just widened a little.

I wasn't quite done, yet. "Because, seriously, I've only ever heard Manoso that breathless when he's fighting. So, either you had him really worked up or..."

"Enough," Manoso bit out, trying to hold back his smile.

Stephanie looked like she wanted to just curl up in a ball and disappear. I found her embarrassment to be beyond humorous. I just sat back with a wide smile and enjoyed the ride.

"You don't live around here, right?" Stephanie spoke up after a few minutes.

"I live in Baltimore. That's where my family is. If you can call it that," I added with a scoff.

His smile faded instantly. "How is the General?"

"A bigger ass than normal in his retirement." I sat back and studied my finger nails out of habit. "He informed me last week, in fact, that I was a disappointment to the family for not making a career out of the military and insisting on associating with scum."

Manoso just scowled at the road. He still had an odd contract with the US government, acting as their right hand when necessary. My father had been instrumental in his career almost as much as my own. While Manoso insisted on continuing to participate in doing the dirty deeds, I refused to have anything to do with them. I had enough on my conscience that even Manoso would never be able to comprehend. In general, they sent the teams of Rangers in for reputable, respectable, necessary missions. Mine tended to be the selfish, power-hungry, shameful ones. And I was too young and naïve to know the difference.

Stephanie turned back to me with wide eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it and shut it quickly, turning back to the front. I was watching her with an eyebrow raised. She was an interesting one, this girl. I was going to have to crack her soon.

It wasn't time for visitors, yet, but I didn't let that stop me. The night nurse had left and the new one wasn't quite as nice, but a quick glare sent her scurrying away and I went into Lester's room without further issues.

He looked up at me and smiled. "Didn't I tell you not to get kicked out?"

"Let them try," I dared, glancing through the glass doors to the little nurse at the desk. I went back to my spot and smiled at him. "Feeling better?"

"Now I am," he said with a wide smile. "They were threatening me with a catheter."

I cringed. "Do you want me to help you get up? I'm sure there's a urinal in here somewhere."

He pointed behind me and I grabbed the little plastic object. With minimal effort, we got him sitting up on the side of the bed and managed to fill it up. Lester was wincing, but he didn't make a noise. He laid back down gently and took a deep breath.

"Don't hold your breath, Les."

"I know," he snapped. "Easier said than done."

I chuckled softly, placing the full bottle on the counter for the nurse to look at. "Now, no catheter for you."

"You're a life saver," he said with a smile, pulling me down for a kiss. "Morning," he mumbled against my lips.

A soft sigh escaped my lips. I had missed this. "Morning," I said, pulling away with a wide smile.

"So, how long are you staying?" He was grinning playfully, but I saw the anxiety in his eyes.

I strummed my fingers along the bed rail. "Depends on you. I'm not leaving until you're better."

He watched me carefully, then sighed. "You don't have to leave at all, you know."

"You know I do, Les. I'd stay with you if I could."

"You can," he argued quietly. "It was working fine before."

Luckily, I was saved from further argument when Stephanie and Manoso walked into the room. Apparently, they'd opened the doors for the public. We talked and joked, trying to keep the conversation light. Every time there was a lull, Lester's eyes would find mine and my body would react with a little tug and pull. I wasn't sure how long it was going to take him to break me, this time. And I wasn't so sure I'd be able to run away again.

The memories flooded back as I sat and watched the conversation go on around me. Almost three years ago, we'd finally had the big blow out that ruined the odd relationship we'd been toying with. Despite my outer shell of confidence and arrogance and despite the very necessary insanity that plagued me, I was still a woman. I still had my insecurities and my issues. One big issue was my family. Actually, if I really thought about it, all of my issues stemmed from my family. Specifically, my father.

And my father, being the General he was always proud of being, knew everything there was to know about me. Or so he thought. When he found out that I'd gone and gotten married behind his back, he was furious. He appeared, out of nowhere, at the apartment where Lester and I had been living. He was mean, as usual. He called Lester every name in the book and told him he'd never be good enough for his daughter. At the height of the argument, I actually slapped him. That was where everything went downhill. Daddy left with a sentence that haunted me every day.

Daddy was holding his face, looking at me in shock. I'd never raised a hand to him before. I'd never even resisted him before. I wasn't backing down, though. I was still furious.

"Well, it seems you're not even the woman I raised. This man has turned you into someone I don't even know." He looked with deadly eyes at Lester. "The day will come when you can no longer control her. When that happens, you know where to find me."

"Control me?" I yelled behind him as he headed for the door. "You're the only one whose goal in life was to control me!"

He turned with a small, devious smile. "Mia, much as you try to deny it, you're not a normal woman. You know it deep down. You're not made for this." He motioned to my apartment, including Lester. "You are, and always will be, a killer. Not a lover."

Tears clouded my eyes. I took a deep breath and stood from the stool, moving toward the window.

"Mia," Lester called in a knowing voice.

I couldn't turn around. My eyes were fixed on the horizon. I took a few minutes to collect myself, then finally turned to face him. Manoso and Stephanie had left. Lester was watching me with sad eyes.

"Already?"

I took a few steps and leaned over him, resting my forehead on his. "Not yet," I promised. "I told you I was here until you got better."

He smiled slightly. "Well, maybe I'll just keep beating myself up and you won't be able to leave."

"Okay, Mr. Santos," a man in a lab coat said as he walked into the room. "Oh, I didn't realize we still had visitors." He glanced at me, then turned and looked at the nurse behind him. The nurse shrugged, so the doctor moved on. "You look to be healing well. We're going to try and move you down to a regular bed today."

"When can I go home?" Lester asked.

"Don't rush it," I fussed immediately.

The doctor looked over at me. "Are you his wife?"

I nodded slightly.

He smiled, then looked back at Lester. "A few days, Mr. Santos. And it will take you much longer than that to fully recuperate."

The doctor left and the nurse didn't dare tell me I had to leave. I fell back onto the stool and watched him carefully.

"Did they catch the guy who bombed Steph's apartment yet?" Lester asked sleepily.

"What?"

He turned and smiled slightly. "You're very caught up in yourself, aren't you?"

My eye narrowed. "Not really. I'm pretty caught up in you, actually."

His smile widened and he picked up his head to kiss me. "If only I could be caught up in you," he teased quietly.

My body responded to that tone in his voice and I found myself holding back. "Not in the hospital and not while you're still broken."

"Well, damn." He focused on the television, where the local news was playing. "She's staying with Ranger because her apartment caught fire again. Someone's always causing something to explode. That's how she earned her nick name. Bombshell Bounty Hunter."

I chuckled softly. So, fidgety Stephanie was a bounty hunter? That was probably rather humorous. "I didn't even know. She was with him this morning. I assumed they were together."

"They're not," Lester said, something akin to anger flashing in his eyes. "She's still with the cop."

"Cop?" I shook my head to try and comprehend. "They certainly act like they're together."

He huffed in response.

"It's like a soap opera over here." I sighed and rested my chin on the bed. "How many women have you been with in the past three years?"

"You don't want to know, mami," he said with a bit of sadness in his voice. "What about you?"

"I lost count," I answered honestly.

"New ink?" He asked with a small smile.

"You know it. Can't show you now, though."

Lester groaned at the unspoken promise. I'd have to show him sometime. It wasn't long before he was snoring quietly. I turned my attention to myself, then, pulling my cell phone out and sending a series of text messages to Donna and Kirby. Donna was apparently getting her nails done because she gave up texting and called me, instead.

"You're ruining my manicure," she fussed.

I rolled my eyes and moved toward the window, keeping my voice down. "I was trying to be quiet."

"You didn't call me again while you're on a stake out, did you? I haven't heard from you since you left. Is everything alright?"

I smiled. Despite the cool outer shell, Donna had a heart. "It was Les, Donna. He's in the hospital, though, and trying to sleep."

She gasped. "I'm so sorry, Mia. I didn't realize. Is he alright?"

"He's a little beat up, but he's fine."

"Fine," she chuckled. "That's about right. So, how long are you staying?"

"As long as it takes," I whispered when Lester moved in the bed. "It's going to take awhile to get him back into a condition that I'm comfortable leaving him in."

She made an exasperated noise. "You'll never be comfortable leaving him. Hey! Watch the cuticles!"

I winced and pulled the phone away from my ear. "Donna," I fussed lightly.

"My bad. Look, just take your time. I'm sure your idiot brother will take care of the house and I'll handle the rest."

"Thanks." I turned and looked at Lester, then took a breath. "And I'll probably come by every so often to sign the bonds."

"That should work. Girl, you're gonna put some miles on that gas guzzler."

I chuckled, then hung up. Lester wasn't sleeping soundly, anymore. He was mumbling quietly and doing his version of tossing. It was really just very small muscle twitches. It had been awhile since I'd slept with a man who had flashbacks.

"Hey," I said gently, pushing his hair out of his face. "Wake up, papi."

With a gasp, his eyes flew open. He probably would have jumped out of the bed if I hadn't been holding him down. He was on high alert for a moment, then he saw me and relaxed significantly. I just rubbed his head until his breathing calmed, waiting for him to tell me.

"It really wasn't that bad," he said softly, pulling my hand down and holding it in his. "They kept me pretty drugged. I lost track of time. How long was I down there, anyway?"

Anger flared in my veins, but I kept it in check. I'd already killed them all. There was nothing more I could do. "Manoso said he hadn't heard from you over twenty four hours. I yelled at him a lot for not calling me sooner."

Lester smiled at me. "That's my girl."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: The usual. None of the characters you know and love are mine. Let me know what you think!

* * *

**

Time turns to rust and it's hard for you to trust  
Every turn every shoulder you feel  
But I'm right here when it's just too much  
You can let me take the wheel

"Crash" by Cavo

xXx

"Sir, you can't just..." The nurse protested loudly, following a man into the room. He was long and lean and wore plain jeans and a shirt, with a jacket on that barely covered a gun holstered to his chest.

I reacted without thought. I flew across the room, snatched the gun and shoved it into my waistband, and had the guy pinned against the wall before anyone could react.

"Mia," Lester growled. "Jesus Christ, mami, calm down. He's a cop."

It took a lot of effort, but I managed to loosen my hold on the grumbling man enough for him to turn around. I kept my narrowed eyes on him, daring him to do something.

"Can I have my gun back?" He asked, rubbing his arm and sending me an angry glare.

Lester was getting a kick out of the whole interaction. "Give him his gun back, Mia."

I rolled my eyes, then handed it over. "Some cop," I mumbled, moving back to my stool beside the bed.

"And who the hell are you?" The man demanded.

I flicked him off in response.

Lester was still laughing, but he managed to get himself together. "Morelli, this is my wife, Mia. Mia, meet Joe Morelli. The cop," he turned to me with funny look.

I was confused for a second. Then, I realized the tone he use. The cop. As in Stephanie's cop. Let the soap opera continue. I sat back and studied the cop. He was good looking, in a rough kind of way. Lean and strong, probably oozing with sex when he wasn't being assaulted. He was relaxing little by little, watching me and Lester with confused eyes.

"Your wife?" He glanced up at me. "How come I've never met you before?"

"Do you really care?" I asked calmly. I honestly didn't feel like getting into it with yet another person.

He sighed. "I guess not. Alright, Santos, tell me what happened."

Lester shrugged. "She pushed me down a flight of stairs."

I glared at him. "Why me? It could have been one of those women you banged while I was gone."

"Could have been," he agreed easily, then turned to Morelli. "Yeah, let's go with that. Some woman pushed me down the stairs. Certainly not my docile wife."

If he hadn't been hurt and in a hospital bed, I would have kicked his ass for that comment.

Morelli ran his hands through his hair. "Okay, I've got a house full of known drug dealers dead, about fifty grand worth of meth in the basement, and you mysteriously pop up in the hospital the same day."

"Life's like a box of chocolates," Lester answered with a smile.

I really tried to suppress the giggle, but I couldn't help it. Morelli sent me a look. "What?" I asked. "You think little old me had something to do with it?"

That made Lester crack up. Morelli was getting angrier by the second. Just then, Stephanie stumbled into the room.

"Joe!" She fussed, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him away. "I told you to leave him alone. He's hurt. Come on."

With little resistance, Morelli followed Stephanie out of the room. Lester and I exchanged a look, then burst into laughter.

"No matter how many whores you've screwed," I said, catching my breath. "Our love life will never be as complicated as those three."

He agreed with a nod, then yanked me down and kissed me hungrily. "No matter how many whores I've screwed," he said, looking me straight in the eyes, his smile entirely gone. "No one measures up to one tenth of the woman you are."

I smiled sweetly. "I know, Les." I bent down and kissed him again. "We're just a little twisted. Those idiots, they're fucked."

By that afternoon, we were situated in a room on the floor, free of pesky visiting hours. The guys dropped by randomly, bringing things to entertain Lester or tease me. Tank had the nerve to bring him a stack of dirty magazines so he didn't get lonely. Much to his dismay, I got a kick out of them. We all studied the girls, deciding not one of them had anything real on their bodies. Lester assured me that he'd much rather look at me naked, which successfully got rid of Tank. Manoso dropped by without his usual attachment.

"Where's Steph?" Lester asked after a minute of useless conversation.

"With Morelli," Manoso answered with a look that might have been considered nonchalance, but I knew him better.

"So, go get her," I offered from the corner of the room, nose in a nudie magazine. Lester made a weird noise, which made me drop the magazine and meet the deadly eyes glaring in my direction. "What? Why is that such a bad idea? You like her, go get her."

"It's complicated," Manoso said, finally sitting in the extra chair. "I talked to your doctor. He said you'd be here a couple more days. Red's agreed to take care of your rehab once you get back to Haywood."

"Wait. Who's Red and what's Haywood?"

Lester chuckled. "Haywood's the apartment. Red's the devil."

I smiled. "Oh, okay. So, why is Red doing rehab and not me?"

"She's a physical therapist. It's what she does," Manoso said with a shrug.

I'd never been a very jealous person. I wasn't wired for that. But the thought of some woman whose nick name was Red being so close to Lester when he was at his most vulnerable made my fists clench. I took a deep breath and tried to blow out the bad feelings, but they didn't go away. "I don't think we'll be needing Red," I said quietly.

Both men looked at me. Manoso's lips were twitching ever so slightly and Lester just looked a little scared. Needless to say, neither argued. They didn't exactly agree, either. It didn't matter. We'd take care of it when the time came. She may be a physical therapist, but I was a killer. And I could kick her ass should the need arise.

"Why don't you go home and get some real sleep, mami?" Lester looked over at me as the sun was starting to set, smiling slightly when he saw me still reading the magazine. "You're really enjoying that, aren't you?"

"I'm enthralled," I said honestly. "I just don't understand the proportions."

"You amaze me, woman."

I sat up and sighed, tossing the magazine to the floor. "Good. And I'm not going anywhere. I slept in your apartment last night and I decided it just wasn't right without you in it. It smelled like you, it felt like you, but you weren't there."

He chuckled quietly. "I'll be right here when you get back."

"You'll be right there the whole time," I argued back.

"What about a shower? I know how you hate to go without a shower."

"Took one this morning." I smiled, pinching his arm. "Get trying to get rid of me. You just want that hot little nurse to come in here and bathe you all by herself."

"Ow." He rubbed the spot where I'd pinched. "Seriously, Mia."

"I'm really going to hurt you if you don't stop. This little chair here makes a nice bed that's way more comfortable than some of the places I've slept in my life. You better just get used to having me around because I'm not going anywhere."

"Yet," he said so quietly I almost didn't hear him.

I sighed. "Let's focus on the present, okay?"

He nodded slowly, eyes on the television that wasn't on.

"Hey," I put a hand on his face, smiling when our eyes met. "You know I love you, right?"

His scowl faded slightly. "I know, mami. I love you, too."

"That was never out problem. Don't doubt that. I'll always love you."

He nodded, pain radiating from his eyes. Not physical pain, either. The kind of pain only I could cause.

A little later, while we were both still in out own little worlds, Stephanie breezed into the room wearing a wide smile. She walked over and hugged me, much to my surprise and discomfort, and handed me a little bag. Then, she walked back around the bed and flicked Lester on the forehead.

"What the..." He rubbed his head. "What was that for?"

"For not telling me you had a wife," she said with a smile. "And for getting yourself into such a big mess and needing to be rescued. That's my job."

I sniggered from my corner, peeking into the bag she'd given me. It had clothes. And nice little things like deodorant and toothpaste. "Thanks, Steph."

She shrugged. "Don't thank me. Thank Ella."

I frowned. "There are too many people here for me."

Lester laughed and turned toward me. "Ella keeps up with the apartments. She does all the cooking and cleaning. Basically, it's like living with your mother. But nicer."

"Wait, my mother or in general, _a_ mother."

Lester cringed. "Okay, so your mother is probably not the best example."

Stephanie was watching us with an amused smile. "I feel like I don't even know you anymore, Les."

"So, you're still staying at Haywood, then?" Lester asked her, ignoring her comment.

Her face went a little red. "Uh, yeah. I mean, until Dillon can replace my door." She sighed. "And I'm sorry about Morelli. He was telling me about that house and I sort of went a little weirdo. I can't believe Ranger went in there and..." She pursed her lips tightly, as if the thought of her precious Ranger killing people made her cringe.

"He didn't." I clarified for her conscience. "He didn't do anything but help me drag Lester out of the basement."

She turned to me, eyes wide with a combination horror and amazement. "You..."

I just shrugged, giving Lester a small smile. "I wasn't very well going to just let him sit there."

She was speechless, which made me smile a little wider.

Lester turned to her suddenly, glancing around outside. "You don't have anyone with you?" He asked, as if the thought was too much for him.

She grimaced slightly. "Cal's on me tonight. He's outside. Last time he followed me into a hospital, he wound up with a concussion. I assured him I'd be fine between here and there."

Lester was giggling quietly. I was confused. "What do you mean he's on you?"

She sighed, rolling her eyes wildly. "Ranger has decided that I need a tail, again. Someone follows me everywhere!"

"Your apartment was bombed, beautiful. And no one knows who did it. Get used to the attention." Lester smiled when she rolled her eyes again. "Maybe Mia can take a shift and you ladies can both take a day without the guys."

I glared at him. "Not while you're in rehab with _Red."_

"I'm looking forward to rehab with Red," he teased.

I growled.

"Down, girl." He laughed at my glare and turned back to Stephanie. "Ranger said you were with Morelli tonight. I wasn't expecting you to visit."

She shrugged slightly, averting her eyes. There was a story there, but she wasn't ready to share it. "I had things to do and I figured I'd drop by. I'll...uh...let you guys...yeah." She stood and headed for the door. "Feel better, Lester. You were always my favorite body guard."

Les laughed and shook his head.

"How did Cal end up with a concussion?" I asked, imagining all sorts of fun ways to get a head injury in the hospital.

"Steph's sister was having a baby and Cal was in the wrong place when the water broke."

"Oh, wow." I laughed, covering my mouth to keep quiet. "Poor Cal!"

The days in the hospital were divided between torture and sleep. Lester was sleeping, I was trying to relax. By the third day in that tiny room, I was getting a little stir crazy. Two big guys were helping Lester walk up and down the halls and I was standing outside the door, watching. He was hurting. His face was tight with pain. He'd been refusing pain medicine all day. I was ready to grind up a few pills and put them in his water. He probably would have noticed that, though. It hurt me to watch him, but it killed me to just sit around.

"Still not taking anything, huh?" Tank sidled up next to me, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest.

"You know him. Stupid, arrogant, stubborn asshole."

Tank smiled widely, white teeth gleaming next to his dark skin. "Spoken like someone in love."

I huffed. "I'm about to go mad," I admitted quietly. I hadn't told Lester that it was slowly driving me up the wall to be cooped up in the small room. He knew me well, though, so he'd probably already figured that out.

"I'm surprised it's taken you this long." Tank turned his smile toward me. "Wanna switch out?"

I bit my lip. "Maybe I'll just walk around the block or something. You don't mind staying with him for awhile?"

"Take your time." He put a big hand on my shoulder. "I'd rather sit with him for a couple hours than have to bail you out of jail for attacking a nurse."

I nodded seriously. I was pretty close to clawing the one last night. Lester had been watching me with keen eyes all day. When the therapists settled Lester back in bed, I told him I was going for a walk.

"I don't need a babysitter," he said quietly to Tank. "You don't have to say."

"That ain't what the missus said," Tank put his hands up with a smile.

I gave Lester eyes that told him to be good and gave him a short kiss. "I promise I won't be gone long. I just need to get some fresh air."

"Have fun." Lester smiled at me, then turned back to Tank as soon as I headed for the door. "There's a hot little blonde nurse that was walking around outside."

"Hey," I turned around with a growl.

"Just kidding, mami." He winked at me.

I huffed and pushed out of the room, thankful to be able to get out.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: None of the characters you know and love are mine. Thanks so much for all the reviews and support!

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So now I question what you're gonna do  
Now that everything's caught up with you  
You believe the shit you say is true  
But everybody's on to you  
Life remembers everything you do  
Your karma has caught up with you

"Falling Down" by Staind

xXx

My phone rang the second I stepped foot outside the sliding glass door of the hospital. I cringed when I saw the name on the screen, then took a deep breath and answered. "Hello, Daddy."

"Hello, Mia." He cleared his throat, a sure sign we were about to start a conversation I wasn't going to like. "Your brother tells me you ran off. That you're in Trenton, as a matter of fact."

"That's right," I answered, holding my head high as I started down the sidewalk.

"And what's in Trenton that you've run to?"

"Business, Daddy."

"That includes Manoso?"

I cringed. He had too many connections. It never surprised me, it always irritated me. "He's also in the bounty hunting business," I said quietly. It wasn't a lie. Manoso did help out with high bond skips every now and then.

"I see." He took a deep breath. "This has nothing to do with Santos, then?"

See, this was where he always caught me. I could bounce around the truth with the best of them. I couldn't outright lie to my father. Not because I had some sort of high moral conscience or something, simply because he'd find out on his own and the repercussions of lying to him just weren't worth it. "He got hurt. I'm just here to help out until he gets better."

"It's not your place, Mia. Let them take care of each other. You're not part of their team."

I bit my lip, holding back the rage. "Maybe you don't think so, but they think so. Manoso called me for help and I came gladly."

He sighed. "You don't belong there, princess."

My father always had a way of hiding insults within phrases that might have been endearing. I'd gotten better at standing up to him, though.

"I'm staying until he's better, Daddy. Please try not to cause problems for that short amount of time." I hit the button to hang up the phone and resisted the urge to throw it into the road.

My walk wasn't so therapeutic after that. My mind was tormenting me with memories. Of the time when I'd actually had a good marriage and thought, for that brief moment, that I might actually be able to have a normal life. He hadn't even given me a chance to try. Lester and I had only been married for six months when he showed up and ruined it. I never forgave him for that. It was bad enough that he treated me like a possession, but to treat Lester like dirt just wasn't okay with me. I didn't talk to him for a full year after that. I'd moved back to Baltimore and started up my business all by myself. At least, he wasn't physically present. I wasn't stupid enough to think I'd done it all on my own. Daddy might have been an asshole, but he had a lot of influence around the area.

I made it two blocks away, then turned and headed back. My phone rang again and I glared at it. It wasn't Daddy, but it wasn't much better. "Mother," I answered calmly.

"Did you really hang up on your father?"

I sighed. "Yes."

"Amelia Ryann Marinella!"

"Mother." I tried to keep my voice calm and even, despite the use of my whole name. "I'm in Trenton. I'm with Lester. Daddy doesn't like that and I don't really care. He's hurt and I'm going to help him." She was silent, torn between obeying the man she loved and giving in to my reasoning. "If it was Daddy hurt, you'd be here for him, wouldn't you?"

"Of course," she answered quickly. "But that's different."

"How?" I challenged. My father had never informed the rest of my family about my taboo marriage, but my mother knew how much I loved Lester. I'd made sure of that.

"Well," she started, then sighed. "You shouldn't hang up on your father. No matter what."

"I don't want to argue with you, Mother." As domineering as my father was, my mother was the exact opposite. A whisp of a woman who more closely resembled a doormat than the industrial strength one I had outside the office in Baltimore. It wasn't her fault, really. Daddy had always treated her as such. It was all she knew for the past thirty or so years. "I'll call you when I'm back in town, okay? I have to get back into the hospital."

She gasped. "He's in the hospital?" She asked quietly.

"Yes. He's probably going home today, though. We were in ICU overnight and we've been on a regular floor for the past three days." Finally, she was grasping the situation.

"He's going to be alright?" She was practically whispering, now. Daddy must have been close.

"Yes. He's going to be fine, but it's going to take awhile. So, I'll be here for awhile."

"Okay, Mia. Let me know if I can do anything for you."

I sighed. She could grow a spine, for one. "Thanks, Mom, but we're good."

I realized, as I walked toward the elevator, that I felt worse now than I had before taking my walk. It was a little ironic, really, but I was glad they'd called while I was outside. I didn't want Lester to hear me fighting with Daddy. The room was silent when I walked in. Lester was asleep, probably exhausted from his work out, and Tank was sitting back, holding the nudie magazine sideways.

"Hey," I said quietly.

Tank snapped the magazine shut and dropped it from his hands.

I covered my face to stifle the laugh. "Caught ya!"

He narrowed his eyes at me playfully. "Just don't tell Lula."

Yet another person I didn't know. I quirked an eyebrow at him. "Lula?"

He waved his hand around. "Another time. We'll have to have a party once Santos gets out."

I nodded in agreement, moving toward my designated chair in the corner of the room near Lester's head and giving Tank a hug as I passed by him. "Thanks."

He gave me a smile, saluted me, mockingly, of course, and headed out. I stretched and tried to get comfortable in the stupid, hard chair. I hoped we were going home tonight because one more day in the hospital just might kill me.

"Well, Mr. Santos," a man in a lab coat walked into the room, his voice booming, yanking both Lester and me from a light sleep. "Oh, sorry," he chuckled.

I rubbed my eyes and looked over at Lester, who was doing the same.

"Everything looks great. We're sending you home today!"

I did a happy dance in my head. After that, it was all rush, rush. Men in black showed up and took care of everything. I loved Manoso sometimes. By the time I took a breath, we were set up in the apartment on the fourth floor of Manoso's building. There was a ton of food, fresh clothes, plenty of bandages and other supplies, and a whole hoard of men at my beck and call. Lester was still being stubborn, but I wasn't taking no for an answer. Between the heavy rehab and the move home, he was in pain. I wrenched his mouth open, threw two pills into the back of his throat, and held his jaw tight until he swallowed.

"Open wide," I commanded, searching every nook and cranny of his mouth.

"Happy?" He asked with a wide smile, hands on my hips as I straddled him on the couch.

"Almost." I picked up the water bottle behind me and held it up. He took it and gulped it down quickly. "Now, I'm happy."

"Good," he said with a devious smile. "Now, it's my turn."

And with that, he crashed his lips down on mine. It was heaven actually kissing him again. Since he'd been in the hospital, I only stole the occasional, chaste kiss. This was not chaste. This was passionate and desperate and urgent. It was everything I'd missed about Lester. Soft, but hard at the same time. Needy, but strong. I moaned and wrapped my arms around his neck, digging in deeper. When his tongue moved along my bottom lip, I shivered and opened for him. His right arm was still in a sling, but he tossed it off and held me so tightly, I was having trouble getting air in. I didn't care about the air, though, because all that mattered now was that I felt right. For the first time in three years, I felt right.

"I've missed you so much, mami," Lester whispered in my ear, moving his lips along my jawline. "Every moment of every day, I thought about you."

I moved my head to expose more neck for him. "I missed you too, papi."

He groaned quietly. He loved it when I called him that. "You kill me, Mia. You drive me crazy."

I smiled, bringing my face to his and kissing him hard. I didn't even have the capacity to tell him how crazy he was making me, so I showed him. I ripped his shirt off and moved gently down, kissing him everywhere. How I had missed this man's hard body. He was shivering and straining to control himself. We'd had reunion sex so many times, it was an old habit for us. We'd be gone for months at a time on assignment, and sex afterward was always this desperate. It was the longest amount of time I'd gone without him since I'd known him, though, and the feelings erupting from me were catching me a little off guard.

I yanked him up and dragged him to the bedroom, pushing him down onto the bed and ridding myself of clothing on the way down. I helped him out of his pants, since it was still hard for him to work that right arm, and jumped over him. Without wasting any time, I slid over him and bit back the scream of pleasure. Lester held my hips tightly as I moved up and down, my head thrown back. It didn't take long for us both to finish in a mess of moans and kisses.

I collapsed onto him, putting my weight on his left side. "Jesus," I sighed, digging my face into his neck.

Lester chuckled quietly. "That was pretty pathetic. Like five seconds?"

My lips touched his neck gently. "The second time is always better," I whispered in his ear.

That was all the motivation he needed. He took over this time, turning me onto my back and kissing me gently. He pulled back and looked at me, his eyes dark with desire. "I don't see anything new."

I gave him a small, devious smile, then turned onto my stomach. My smile widened when he moaned. "Like it?"

"When did you get this?" He asked, his voice deep with lust.

"About a month after I got back to Baltimore." I turned over again and looked at him. "You really like it?"

"Mia," he said, crashing his lips down onto mine. "Te quiero y solamente usted," he mumbled, quoting my tattoo.

I'd gotten the little quote on the back of my right hip, the same spot where Lester had inadvertently sliced me with a knife during our second meeting. It was the only scar on my body. It was my fault, really, but he never forgave himself for hurting me. I'd used that against him to get what I wanted, too. So really, that particular knife had been the beginning of a long, somewhat tumultuous, and very hot relationship.

"I love you and only you," I translated. "I wanted to add 'always have, always will,' but I got bored and it was too much. Plus, the guy said I was getting too close to the scar and..."

Lester was apparently done talking. His lips bruised mine and I loved every second of it. And I was right, the second time was better. And the third. And the fourth.

"Les," I giggled when he turned over and started kissing my back. "You need to sleep, love."

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," he said groggily.

"You'll sleep now." I turned over and kissed him lightly. "I fed you pain pills, I know your shoulder's hurting you, and you start rehab tomorrow. Close your eyes and turn off your dick."

"With you in my bed, my dick doesn't turn off." He smiled wildly, then sighed and pulled me into his chest. "I missed you, mami."

"I missed you, too." I put a hand on his face. "But if you don't go to sleep right now, I'm going to get Brown and he'll sedate your ass."

"Fine." He turned me over and pulled me into him. "But you're not allowed to move."

I wasn't sure what made him think I was planning on moving. In fact, I was pretty sure I couldn't move. I was pretty sure I was going to be walking funny in the morning. If I could walk at all. My body was covered with marks. I laid there and enjoyed all the little sensations that were dissipating. When Lester's breathing finally evened out, I closed my eyes and settled in. I'd never slept so well in my life.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: All recognizable characters belong to JE. Mia and Red are mine ;). Hopefully, this chapter will answer some of the questions I've been getting. Hope you like!**

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And you held me through it all  
And you never let me fall  
And you let me fly away  
And you always believed in me

"You Always Believed" by In This Moment

xXx

"I swear to God, Les, I'll hurt you both." I warned him one last time, giving him my most chilling glare.

"Christ, mami. After last night, I don't have the energy to flirt with another woman. Just relax." He smiled easily at me, pulling me down onto the bench next to him. "Stop pacing."

I sat there, but I didn't relax. I'd been overruled. Red was apparently the best. _I_ was the best. I didn't need her. And I definitely didn't want her working with Lester. The unheard of jealousy was taking over. Even Manoso found it a little disturbing.

She appeared in the doorway of the gym after a few seconds, smiling as she walked toward us. My critical eyes assessed her instantly. She was shorter than me and a little bigger around. More muscle. I couldn't build more muscle. My muscles were at maximum. I was more of the lean, graceful type. She had long, flowing red hair, of course, and bright green eyes. Her skin was a flawless shade of pastel and littered with freckles. She was wearing black yoga pants and a pink tank top that covered pretty much everything. I wasn't immediately motivated to kill her, despite the fact that she was as beautiful as I'd imagined.

"Hi." She walked over and stuck her hand out to me first. "I'm Renee."

I gave her a small smile. "Mia."

"Nice to meet you." She turned her smile toward Lester. "I heard you got a little beat up."

He shrugged, then tried to hide the grimace.

She nodded carefully. "Stand up. Let me see what I'm working with."

I watched as she tortured him, deciding almost instantly that I liked her. Renee was a woman after my own heart. And, I hated to admit it, but she was pretty damn good. She never let him back down, not that he would have, and she kept encouraging him. I got bored after a few minutes and left them to their work.

There wasn't much to do in Manoso's building, so I headed back toward the fifth floor and looked for someone to entertain me. I found the perfect person, situated in the corner, nose inches away from her computer screen.

"Hey," I said, walking up to Stephanie.

"Oh!" She jumped back and put a hand over her chest. "Geez. You scared me."

"Sorry." I sat on the edge of her desk, facing the wall, and inspected my nails. "I'm bored."

"Lester's in the gym?"

I nodded.

She bit her lip, then looked up at me. "Well, actually, I did have something I needed to do. I was waiting for Ranger, but I guess I don't really need him."

"Sounds like fun. Let's go." I pulled her out of the chair and headed toward the elevator.

She took a quick detour, sticking her head in Manoso's office, then met me. "He said to tell you not to kill anyone."

I smiled deviously. "We'll see."

Our first stop was the bonds office Stephanie worked for. I was intrigued.

It only took a few minutes in the car for Stephanie to overflow with questions. "So, what happened?"

"Elaborate," I said, turning toward her as I drove through the streets of Trenton.

"With you and Les. Why did you leave? What happened?"

I took a deep breath. "That's a very long story. But, I'll try and condense it for you." I looked over at her quickly. "Just so you know, I don't talk to people about this. The guys trust you, though, so I guess I can too."

That thought made her grin and blush a little.

"My father is a General. He's very controlling and very influential. When I didn't renew my contract, he was furious. He wanted to be able to use me to further his career. I told him the only way I'd ever go back would be to save an American. No more useless killing for me. I moved here to get away from him and to be closer to Lester. He didn't know about Les and me. He just thought I'd run away from him." I had to stop and take a few breaths. "When he found out I'd married Les, he was furious. Mostly because I'd done it behind his back and managed to hide it from him for six months. Daddy prides himself on knowing everything. But also because Lester was enlisted. My father is very stuck on status. Les comes from a family that isn't exactly overflowing with cash. I'd actually pretty much been promised to a guy who I've known my whole life. Our families are both rich and powerful, yada, yada. When I refused to get it annulled, he completely lost it. He started using his pull to get Lester sent on ridiculous missions. The whole team. If there was a suicidal idea, they were sent. The only way he'd stop was if I'd come home. I still won't divorce him, though. I told him Lester was the love of my life and even he couldn't make me get a divorce."

Stephanie's eyes were watering. "That's horrible!"

I nodded, taking deep breaths to still the rage. "So, I had to leave. It was the only way. The guys all still have a year left on their contract. And as soon as that's up, I'm here. Until then, we've got this disturbing deal that seems to be working alright."

"Deal?"

"Yeah." I sighed. "I don't know if you've noticed, but my Lester loves women."

Stephanie chuckled.

I had to smile. "We both agreed it would be insane to expect us to be celibate for four years. But only one night stands. No relationships. That was the deal."

"Man. I always wondered why Les was such a womanizer."

I snorted a laugh. "Oh, no. He was like that before. He's just got an excuse to do it, now."

"Why can't you guys just meet up occasionally?"

"He'd find out." I leaned back against the chair as I pulled into the little parking lot in front of Plum Bail Bonds. "Daddy's got people everywhere. He probably knew I left within a couple hours and got my destination not long after that. Why it took him so long to call is beyond me."

Stephanie was chewing on her lip thoughtfully. I could almost hear the wheels turning in her head.

"Don't bother. I've been trying to find a way around this for three years. Trust me, there's nothing I can do. I only have one more year, though. And then, we're both free."

"Didn't you say your dad was retired, though?"

I had to smile at her memory. I'd mentioned that once, briefly. And she'd been flustered from my teasing, too. "Yes. But, he's still got all the power he had before. It's disgusting how much people look up to him. Like he's some hero. He used people and took their thunder. Like me."

We climbed out of my Hummer and headed into the little building. Behind the desk was a very Italian looking woman with big hair, big boobs, and a ton of makeup. I smiled slightly, thinking of the similarities between her and Donna. They'd get along great. To the right was a couch that had seen better days, adorned with a large black woman. She was overweight, but apparently didn't realize it. Her clothes were at least three sizes too small and bright. My smile widened.

"Hey guys." Stephanie plopped down on the couch. "No donuts?"

"Lula ate them all," the woman behind the desk offered, eyeing me.

"Hey, I only had two," the big woman argued. "Okay, maybe four."

"You ate six," the receptionist shot back, watching me. "Do I know you?"

"Oh." Stephanie motioned toward me. "This is Mia. She's Lester's wife. Mia, this is Connie and Lula."

Their reaction was what I'd come to expect. Absolute awe. I smiled as I turned back to Lula, picturing her and my massive Tank in wedding pictures. Her mouth was hanging open, doing a little floppy fish move.

Connie was just watching me with a pair of keen eyes. "Marinella," she said finally.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Your dad knows my uncle. They served together. I remember hearing about you. Didn't know you'd married Les. Congratulations, I guess."

"Good luck!" A voice sounded from behind a closed door.

"Dammit!" Connie started digging around her desk. "He bugged me again. I hate it when he bugs me." She located the tiny chip and dropped it into her coffee mug.

I was smiling like an idiot, completely amused by the entire group.

"Hey." A dark, greasy haired head poked out of the office. "I don't pay you to sit around. You've got a skip to catch. Go catch him!" His eyes met mine and he smiled slightly.

Stephanie threw her arm up toward him and he retreated back into his office, mumbling.

"She's quiet like Ranger. She makes me nervous. I don't handle nervous well. Big ladies like me gotta eat when they're nervous." Lula was fidgeting on the couch.

"I'm sorry. Would you prefer I talk?" I smiled at her. "And by the way, I was told not to tell you that Tank got Lester a stack of dirty magazines while he was in the hospital and I caught him studying them carefully when I left him alone with Lester."

Lula's eyes went wide. "I wonder if he found any new positions. We could use some new positions. We tried this one a couple nights ago..."

Stephanie's face turned red and she covered her ears. Connie rolled her eyes. I burst into laughter.

After making sure nothing new was happening, Stephanie and I took off to catch her skip. This was apparently what she needed me for. She filled me in on the guy as we drove. Henry Periwinkle. Wanted for armed robbery. It was the armed part that had her jumpy. She didn't like guns, apparently. I told her that wasn't a good thing for a bounty hunter and she claimed to know this.

"Ranger usually takes the guys with guns but I need the money," she admitted as I drove.

I turned toward her. "But you take someone with you when you do these, right?"

She shrugged. "Mostly Lula."

"I'm sure she's helpful," I mumbled.

"She usually has a gun."

"That's a plus."

"And she can kick in a door."

"A useful skill."

We pulled onto Henry's street, parked in front of the neighbor's house, then headed for the front door. I let Stephanie knock, then waited. Nothing.

I moved down the porch. "I'll go around back. Stay here."

She nodded in agreement, knocking again.

The back door was locked. I picked it quickly, then slid inside. It was dark. No one was home. I did a quick search, then opened the front door. Stephanie frowned.

"Empty," I informed her.

"Damn."

We took a look around, decided Henry hadn't left us a clue, then locked up and headed out. Just as I closed the front door, the sound of a car pulling up around back drifted to my ears. I pulled my gun out of my waistband and motioned for Stephanie. She started for the back and I followed.

Henry Periwinkle was a scrawny man. He was wearing a pair of ratty jeans and a stained t-shirt. I figured he hadn't robbed a clothing store. He was getting out of a heap of a car, not really paying attention to what was going on around him. Never a good idea for someone avoiding the law.

"Henry?"

I moaned when she called his attention. We were still too far away. And, sure enough, he took off. I cursed under my breath, shoved my gun into my waist band again, and took chase. Henry scaled a fence in the next yard, which was completely unnecessary because it ended only a few feet to the right. Stephanie apparently hadn't noticed that. She scaled the tall fence, too. The sound of her landing on him was rather humorous as I rounded the corner. They'd managed to land in a dumpster. What were the odds?

I reached in, pulled Stephanie out, then grabbed Henry and slapped cuffs on his wrists. He had coffee grounds and raw eggs in his hair. I cringed, then hoisted him out of the bin and let him fall onto the ground. Stephanie was busy pulling something that looked vaguely like vomit out of her hair.

"Why does this always happen to me?" She wondered out loud.

"This is going to suck," I said, looking down at Henry.

He'd stopped fighting once I slapped the cuffs on him. He was just staring up at me, looking mean.

"You're going to stink up my car," I told him.

"Good," he spat back.

I growled, pulled him up, and started back toward the car. Stephanie was grumbling beside me and trying to get most of the gunk off her. I shoved Henry into the back seat, then moved around and got into the driver's seat. I rolled down all the windows and pumped up the air conditioner. It was June, it was hot, and I had two people in my car who smelled like a dumpster. Must have been my lucky day.

We got a lot of attention at the police station. I was used to it, though. A bunch of people asked about me and I gave Stephanie eyes that told her to keep it to herself. If it got to the point where too many people knew, too many people would talk, Daddy would find out, and I wasn't sure how he would react.

"So, money first or shower first?"

She bit her lip. "Money. They've seen me worse."

I laughed and directed the car back toward the bonds office. Connie held her nose when we walked in and made an effort not to breathe as she wrote the check. Lula was nowhere to be found. I wondered if she was talking to Tank about positions. That thought made me smile.

When we got back to Haywood, Stephanie was grumbling a lot. She was apparently sure the guys would make fun of her, based on what I could catch of her quiet murmurs. I followed her onto the elevator, then stood in between her and the camera. Which was difficult, since the camera was in the upper corner of the elevator. I was pretty close to her. There was definitely no personal space. She gave me confused eyes that changed after a second and hit a button on her keys. The elevator went straight up to seven.

"Thanks." She stepped off the elevator and unlocked the door. "They'll be curious, though. I'm sure someone was watching."

I shrugged, following her into the apartment. "Then we'll tell them we've decided we're madly in love and we're going to run away to a little island in the Caribbean where we can get married and live a long, happy life."

She smiled, then headed toward the bathroom. I took the time to get acquainted with Manoso's personal space. I liked being invasive. It was my specialty. It didn't take long for my phone to ring, and I didn't have to look at the screen to know who it was.

"Hi."

"What happened?" Manoso's voice held a hint of a smile.

"Dumpster."

He chuckled. "Are you making yourself at home?"

"Of course," I answered, digging through the cabinets in his kitchen. "You know me."

"I know you," he repeated.

"My car could use a cleaning."

"Come down to fifth when she's done."

"Ten four."

I slid my phone into my back pocket and snatched a water bottle from the fridge. The apartment was just what I expected from Manoso. Comfortable, but not homey. No pictures, no personal touches. Nice, but detached. It wasn't his home. That much was obvious. It was just the place where he slept. I wondered if Manoso would ever find his home.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: All characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I'm just using them for my own amusement. Bringing on the drama, now. Hope everyone likes it!

* * *

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Wherever I stand, you're the one,  
Who'll be right there with me,  
Wherever I land, you're the one,  
Who'll be there to break my fall

"Wherever I Stand" by Taproot

xXx

Les was hanging out on fifth when Stephanie and I strolled off the elevator. He gave me a small smile that made my insides warm. "What was that show in the elevator about?"

I gave him an equally seductive smile. "She smelled good." I chuckled quietly at my utter lie. She had smelled horrible.

Stephanie blushed and headed for her little cubicle, not bothering to respond.

"I figured you'd take a nap after working out," I took a chair near him, close to the bank of monitors where Cal was still sitting.

Lester gave me a half shrug. "I tried. I couldn't sleep, so I came back up here."

I nodded. "Manoso wanted me for something?"

"Yeah," the man himself answered, walking up behind me. "My office," he barked.

I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? I don't work for you. Ask nicely."

"Marinella," he said through clenched teeth, ignoring the chuckling bodies around us. "My office, _please_." He stressed the please as if it killed him.

It wasn't sincere, but it would work. I got up and followed him, closing the door behind me and curling my legs under my body in one of the big chairs across from him. He was going through something on his desk. It took all of five seconds for me to loose my patience.

"Did you just want me to watch you work or something?"

He looked up at me with irritated eyes. "I just thought you'd like to know that I got a call today."

My heart rate picked up. "Already?"

"I leave tomorrow," he said as if it didn't bother him.

"No." I stood up and slid my phone out of my pocket. "This is insane. This is beyond stupid. I'm going to kill him."

"Marinella," Manoso called just before I yanked the door to his office open. "He needs you here."

My entire body started to shake with contained violence. I knew the feeling. I'd been able to control it for a long time. That control ended when my father couldn't keep his meddling hands out of my life. "It's not fair to you," I managed to spit out.

"I knew when I called you this would happen. It was a fair trade. I'm going to go and you're going to stay. When he's cleared by Brown, he'll be eligible to be called out, too. I suggest you leave before that happens."

There were tears in my eyes. Not sad, girly tears. These tears were pure and utter rage. I stormed out of the office and headed for the stairs, ignoring the calls from Lester. I ran to the gym, found a punching bag, and destroyed it. I would have had someone meet me, but I was afraid of what I might do in my current state. So, I imagined the big, red bag was my father and directed all my anger at it. It didn't register when the heavy chain broke and the bag came crashing down. I continued to beat the hell out of it. It almost didn't register when a pair of huge arms pulled me off the floor.

Tank held me tightly, waiting for me to stop fighting. My body was still shaking violently. He pulled me back and looked at me carefully. "It's not your fault."

I pushed away and started pacing. "You know it is. You know this would never have happened if I hadn't come."

"And I know we wouldn't have been able to get him out that easily if you hadn't come. Someone else might have been hurt. There would have been lots of bullets. We needed you. Ranger knew the consequences of calling you in and he did it, anyway." He sighed when I didn't relax. "It's not the first time he's being called out, Mia. He's used to it."

"But this time it's because of _me. _And now, I have to walk around here and look people in the eyes and know that it's my fault their fearless leader is off on some idiotic mission probably constructed by my asshole of a father in a desperate attempt to continue to control my life." My fists were pumping, my heart still racing.

"No one is going to blame you, Mia. No one else even knows. As far as they're concerned, it's just another call. He's just going in the wind again. He does it a lot."

"Not on my behalf," I hissed.

Tank sighed. "Would you have preferred we didn't call you? Would you have preferred to see him in a casket because we couldn't get to him in time?"

"No," I breathed. "Don't say that."

"War is all about what sacrifices you're willing to make to meet your goal. Ranger made one for Lester."

We stood there silently for a few minutes. I was staring at the floor and he was watching me. He wasn't going to leave me alone again. He was probably worried about his gym equipment.

When my hands started to relax, I took a deep breath. "I like her," I whispered.

He was confused. "Who?"

"Lula," I said, picking my head up and offering a small smile. "She's a little off, but I like her."

Tank gave me a wide, white smile, then put an arm over my shoulders and lead me out of the gym. "Now that you look a little less like you're about to murder someone, we should head back up to fifth."

"I know you had something to do with his," a familiar voice hissed as we moved toward Manoso's office. "This was a professional job, not some druggie gone psycho."

Manoso's deep, even voice followed. "What would I get out of killing a house full of meth heads?"

Tank dropped his arm from my shoulders and pushed the half open door to Manoso's office. I fit the face with the voice, then. Morelli.

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out. You can't just go around killing people." He looked up and spied us, then. "And you. You just appeared. Who the hell are you?"

"Let it go, Morelli," Manoso warned.

"Don't worry. He's just got a stick up his ass because Stephanie dumped him. Am I right?" I raised an eyebrow at Morelli, satisfied when I saw his face redden with anger. "Thought so. There's nothing to worry about, Manoso. He's grasping straws." I cringed at the slip and, unfortunately, Morelli was swift enough to catch it.

"You were in the Army." Morelli studied me carefully.

"Oh, he's a regular Albert Einstein. Come on, Tank. I'm not in the mood for this." I headed toward the elevator, only slightly confused as to why Morelli was in Manoso's office. Not curious enough to ask, though. As we rounded the corner, I saw Stephanie peeking around the corner of her cubicle, trying to listen, but not seen. Poor Steph. I motioned for her to follow, but she shook her head gently. She was too nosy for her own good.

Tank was silent as we rode the elevator down to fourth. I opened the door to Lester's apartment, smiled at him sitting on the couch, and headed for the kitchen.

"You took care of that, right?" Tank followed me, sitting on a bar stool.

"Of course I did. There's not a shred of evidence we were there. Or Les. These idiot cops won't be able to pin anything. They can think all they want. A trial requires evidence."

Lester leaned back on the couch and looked at me. "What's going on?"

"Morelli's giving Ranger the third degree," Tank replied. "And you should probably work on calling him that."

I frowned. "Yeah. I fucked up with that one. He'll look me up, I'm sure. Not that there's anything on my record. As far as the world in concerned, I had a desk job working for Daddy."

Lester made a noise from the couch.

"Shut up," I sent him a glare.

"I was just thinking about you having a desk job. That would require a desk. Then, my dirty mind thought about how amazing it would be to fuck you senseless on a desk right outside your father's office."

"Come on!" Tank got up and headed for the door. "I'll leave you kids alone. Try not to kill each other."

With a sigh, I moved toward Lester and joined him on the couch, laying my head on his chest. "They called Manoso out."

Lester nodded. "He told me."

"I feel like Yoko Ono."

He chuckled quietly. "You're not breaking up the band, mami."

"The other guys don't know. They don't realize it's my fault. How do you think they'd react if they did?"

"I don't care. They don't know you." He sighed and pulled me up to look at him. "You shouldn't make yourself miserable just to pacify your father."

"It's got nothing to do with pacifying him. I don't want you guys to get hurt. He uses you against me." I shook my head, pushing off him and standing up. "We've had this argument. My mind isn't changed. As soon as you are cleared, I'm gone. I have to go. Don't you see? I can't be the reason you get hurt. I can't sit back and know you're being sent on insane missions because of me!"

Lester reached for me, but I pulled away.

"Maybe this would be easier if I didn't stay here." My eyes were glued to the floor.

"Mia," he pleaded. "Don't do this."

"I have to do this, Les. I'll stay until you're healed, but then I'm gone." I looked back up, blinking back tears. "Don't you see? I have to."

He didn't say anything. We both just stared at each other for a minute, then I left. I couldn't stand to see him like that. I hit the elevator and leaned my face into the wall as I waited for it to get down to the parking garage. Manoso was standing there, next to a car. When I walked closer, I noticed there was someone with him. Stephanie. Her eyes were glossy. They both looked over at me and I offered a small smile as I moved toward my car. Stephanie's eyes clicked at that moment. She looked at Manoso, then back at me. He must have told her he was leaving and she connected it. She knew it was my fault. So much for a friend. She'd hate me for sure, now.

"Mia," Stephanie called as I was trying to make a quick escape.

I stopped, halfway into my Hummer. I turned around and looked at her, heart breaking at her red eyes. "Yeah?" I asked, almost a whisper.

She walked over to me, stopping just in front of me. "I want to meet your father."

Manoso made a noise and started toward us. I shook my head. "No, you don't."

"I do." She turned and glared to Manoso. "I do and I want you to take me to him. I want to talk to him."

"You're not going to change anything, Steph." I started to turn around.

She huffed. "Then I'll just look him up and drive there myself."

I narrowed my eyes. "Manoso," I warned and I climbed into my car and turned it on. "Keep your pet on a leash."

On a normal day, I would never have said such a thing. She was too stubborn, though. Too hard headed. She would find a way to him and she would talk to him and she would make everything worse. I didn't need that. She was trying to be nice. Or bring some sort of justice to the situation. Or maybe she just wanted to yell at him for sending Manoso away. Either way, I couldn't have it. It would go from terrible to unbearable.

Manoso glared at me as I pulled out of the parking garage. He'd have some form of retaliation waiting for me. I hoped so, anyway. I needed someone to beat up. The punching bag couldn't handle my rage.

I drove around aimlessly until the silent tears stopped. Then, I went back to Manoso's building. I knew he'd be waiting. I knew he'd have someone tell him as soon as I buzzed the gate. I went straight to the gym and pulled on a pair of gloves. It didn't take him long. We didn't say anything. We just started circling. Tank came in and sat on the bench, waiting for the moment to jump in.

"Is she mad?" I asked quietly.

"Furious."

"Good. Maybe she'll leave it alone."

Manoso actually chuckled at that one. "You don't know Stephanie very well."

I took his momentary lack of attention and sent a strong fist into his side. He took it like a man, barely bending over. He did grimace, though. And judging by the fire in his eyes, he meant business.

"Cheap shot," he spit.

The door to the gym opened and I heard the sound of crutches moving toward us. The audience was growing. Manoso tried to use that to his advantage. He took a step forward and swung, but I ducked and sent another fist into his side. He groaned, then stepped back. We circled a little more, then I got tired of the game and just went in. He blocked every swing, every kick, every movement. Manoso and I had been sparring together for so long, we knew each others thoughts before they turned into actions. He got in an uppercut that made me stumble backward slightly. I took advantage of his surprise that he actually hit me and swung my leg, sending him to the floor. Once he was down, I was over him. I only got one good hit in before I was pulled off, though. Then, I turned my fists to the massive chest holding me back. Tank wasn't fazed. He just took it.

Finally, I collapsed into him, sobbing like a fool. Tank handed me off to Lester, where I was allowed to have a normal girly reaction to all the emotions swirling inside of me. Lester just held me, awkwardly albeit, until I stopped. When I collected myself and looked around, they were just sitting around, waiting.

"Sorry." I sucked it up and looked at them all.

"Don't apologize to me," Manoso said, getting up and heading for the door.

I frowned. I wasn't good at apologies. I sucked, as a matter of fact. Blame it on my ego. But, he was right. I was way off base. I was a bitch, actually. I could hardly believe I'd actually said it.

"How bad?" Lester asked. He knew something was up, and I was guessing he figured it was with Steph since Manoso felt the need to defend her honor. Or, my awful actions might have been on tape somewhere, being spread around the company like wildfire. By the end of the week, everyone would hate me.

I shook my head. "Really bad. I was a total bitch."

Tank chuckled. "I'm sure she'll bounce back."

"Yeah." I turned my frown toward him. "But now I totally fucked up the double date I had planned."

They both started laughing.

"I'm going to Baltimore tomorrow," I said after a second.

Lester's eyes got wide.

"Don't worry. I'm coming back. I have a few things I need to do."

Tank nodded at me. "You going to take her?"

I sighed. "I'm torn."

"Can I come?" Lester asked.

"Absolutely not. Do you want to sign a death warrant?" I glared at him.

"Just curious." He shrugged. "Thought maybe he'd gotten over the whole absolute hatred thing."

I rolled my eyes. "Right."

I didn't have the nerve to show my face on fifth. I went straight to Lester's apartment and dragged him to bed with me. Screw separating. It was going to be hard enough when I left. I wasn't going to make myself miserable while I was here.


End file.
